The Calgary Flames are heading deeper into a rebuild, and that reality is starting to shape every conversation about the roster. With the organization leaning toward the draft for its next wave of talent, the future could be a long one in Calgary. The upside, though, is that the Flames are positioning themselves for a major shot at the 2027 NHL Draft, where they could be in line for a top-three pick for the first time ever.
For this season, the bigger question is which current players can carve out meaningful roles as the team moves through that transition. There are still a few young names in the mix, and the year ahead will give them a chance to establish themselves as part of the next core.
When it comes to point differential, Mikael Backlund looks like the safest bet to lead the way again. Calgary struggled last season, and only three players who appeared in every game finished in positive territory. Blake Coleman topped the team at +12 before being moved this summer, leaving Backlund as the most reliable returning option in that category.
Backlund finished last season at +7, and he did it while regularly facing opposing top lines. He’ll no longer have Coleman beside him, but Joel Farabee is expected to step into that spot and fill the vacancy in the lineup. That won’t turn Backlund into a runaway leader, but it does keep him in a familiar setup.
The winger on the other side of Backlund will matter too. Whether it ends up being Connor Zary, Samuel Honzek, or another option, that spot could help define how productive the line is overall. Even with the changes around him, Backlund still looks like one of the Flames’ most dependable performers.
In Other News...
Flames Prospect Bode Laylin Just Made A Notable Development Choice
For a Flames prospect, the college path can matter almost as much as the junior and development track, and Bode Laylin has now made a meaningful switch before ever stepping on campus. The winger had originally committed to the University of St. Thomas, but his plans changed when he decided to follow a different route for college hockey development, moving his commitment to Minnesota.
Laylins decision adds another wrinkle to a career that Calgary will be watching closely, especially with the Gophers offering a higher-profile stage and a different level of competition. The move is tied to his fathers coaching change as well, a family connection that helps explain why the adjustment made sense, even if it leaves one more season of development questions ahead. [Read more 🡒]
MacKenzie Weegar Just Said What Calgary Fans Have Been Thinking
MacKenzie Weegar touched on a topic that tends to linger around Canadian markets, and it is one Flames fans know well: the way some players talk about playing north of the border. In a recent appearance on OverDrive, the Calgary defenseman said he was disappointed to see players asking out of Canadian teams, a sentiment that fits the frustration many local fans have heard for years whenever trade chatter starts circling.
For Calgary, the remark lands because it speaks to something bigger than one roster rumor or one citys perception. Weegar framed it as a matter of perspective, the idea that suiting up in the NHL should be the honor no matter where the jersey is from, and that leaves the larger conversation about player movement and market preferences hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Huberdeaus Recovery Now Puts One Big Flames Question In Focus
Jonathan Huberdeaus recovery from hip resurfacing surgery has settled into a clearer picture after a brief scare around his progress, with Flames general manager Craig Conroy explaining that there was no setback at all. Huberdeau has been skating consistently, and the timeline remains in the seven- to nine-month range, which keeps the focus on his return rather than any fresh concern about the procedure.
Even so, the next checkpoint is already coming into view, and it will be a small but meaningful one for Calgary. Huberdeau is likely to miss the first day of training camp, which only sharpens the bigger question hanging over the Flames as they look ahead to a bounce-back season from a player coming off a disappointing 2025-26 campaign. [Read more 🡒]